Bow-facing oar



H, and is secured by a nut, 'i'.

tima-en STATES' PATENT Fries..

yBovtf-IfAoltlc OAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,081, dated April23, 1895. Application tiled January 25., 1895. Serial No. 536,245. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. MCFARLAND, a citzen of the United States,residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Boat-Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of oars forboats.

The invention will first be described and then pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side view of an oar having myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the double joint of the oar.In this view the top plate is removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionof the joint of the oar. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the bottom plate ofthe oar-joint. Fig. 5 is a side view ot' one of the clips, showing thesquare hole. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the clamp and pivotbolt.Fig. 7 is a view of the pivot-bolt.

The letter, A, designates the blade and,A, the handle of the oar. Eachof these has a circular-shaped joint-head, b, b', of the same size. Acentral hole, c, is in each joint-head and the two joint-heads areunited or connected by two wire cords, d, in the shape of the letter, S,each having one of its ends attached to a diiterent one .of the circularrims of the heads by screws, c, these two cords `being in reversedposition and crossing each other` between the adjoining parts of thesaid rims. The bottom plate, F, in the present instance, is made in twoparts or sections, 1 and 2, so as to clamp above and below thepivotbolt, m,- a half-round cross groove, 71'., being. in each of thetwo parts for said bolt. The top section, l, of said plate, F, has onits upper surface two pivot bosses, o', and a central hole, g, isthrough each. The lower section, 2, lits flat against the top section.The jointheads, b, b', are seated on the top of the upper section ofplate, F, the bosses, c', of which take into the central holes, c. Thuseach boss, c', serves as a pivot on which one ot the joint-heads turns.A cover-plate, H, has position upon the two bosses and covers the twojoint-heads and a bolt, t, passes through two sections of the plate, F,and through the hole, g, in each boss and through the cover-plate, Thetwo bolts,

t', thus 4confine all the parts together, but the bolts' do not act aspivots for the jointheads, the bosses, c', being the pivots as alreadystated. p

It will thus be seen that the two joint-heads, b, b', of the oarconnected as described by the reverse cords, d, are pivoted between thebottom plate, F, and cover plate, H. When the handle, A', of the oar ismoved in one direction by turning on its pivot, the edect of the twoboss pivots, c', and the reverselyfcrossed cords, d, is to turn theblade, A, of the oar on its pivot in the same direction as the handle.

Suitable means must be employed to enable the oar to be oscillated withrespect to the gunwale of the boat. The means for this purpose shown, inthe present instance, will now be described.

The clamp which holds the pivot-bolt, m, comprises two clips, J, eachhaving two prongs, 7o, which take over the gunwale of theboatsaddle-fashion, and a setscrew, p, in one prong has on its end aturn-button, q, which bears against the side of the gunwale and saidscrew and the other prong serves as a clamp. These two clips are unitedatr their tops by a horizontal pivot-bolt, m, which has two collars, n,one near each end and forming a central pivot-part which is clamped bythe plate, F. It will be seen the two collars-one at each side of theplate, F-prevent any binding on said plate. At one end of the bolt is asquared part, m', and a nut, m2, and at the other end is a nut, m3. Thesquared part, m', of the bolt fits in the square hole, o, in one of theclips and thus the bolt is prevented from turning and the two nuts takeon the Screw-threaded ends of the bolt which pro ject outside of theclips.

With this oar a person in a boat may sit facing the bow of the boat, orfacing in the direction the boat is moving. 'I

This oar may be used for rowing or sculling.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. Aboat oar having, in combination, a handle and blade each being aseparate piece and each having a circular joint-head provided with acentral hole, c; a plate, F, provided on its surface with two integralbosses, c', each having a hole, g said bosses taking into the saidcentral holes of the joint-heads and serving as the pivots on which thehandle and blade turn; a plate, H, covering said jointheads and restingagainst said pivot-bosses; bolts, t', through the said cover plate andthe holes in the pivot-bosses and securing the two plates together;means connecting the said joint-heads of the handle and blade so as toinsure pivot-movement of both of said parts inthe saine direction, andmeans to enable the oar to be oscillated.

2. A boat oar having, in combination, a handle and blade each being aseparate piece and each having a circular joint-head provided with acentral hole, c; a base-plate, F, made in two sections the upper one ofwhich is provided on itsupper surface with two integral bosses, c', eachboss having a hole, g, and said bosses taking into the said centralholes of the joint-heads and'serving as the pivots on which the handleand blade turn, and said upper Section also having on its lower surfacea central semi-circular groove, h, extending in a direction transverselywith respect to the said two bosses,- and the lower plate section havingon its upper surface a semi-circular groove corresponding to the saidgroove in the upper section and forming therewith a circular hole; aplate, H, covering said joint-heads and resting against saidpivot-bosses; bolts, t', through the cover plate and the two sections ofthe base plate and securing said three parts together; means connectingthe said jointheads of the handle and blade so as to insure pivotmovement of both of said parts in the 3 5 saine direction; a horizontalpivot-bolt, m, through the said transverse hole between the two platesections; and a clamp at each end of the said bolt to engage the gunwaleot a boat, as and for the purpose described.

3. A boat oar having, in combination, a handle and blade each being aseparate piece and each having a joint-head connected together so as toafford pivot movement to both of said parts in the same direction; abase plate, F, supporting said joint-heads and made in two sections theupper one of which is provided on its lower surface with a centraltransverse semi-circular groove, h, and the lower plate section havingon its upper surface a corre 5o sponding groove and thereby forming acircular hole; a plate, H, covering said jointheads, the said coverplate, the two sections of the base plate and the joint-heads allsecured together by two bolts, i; a horizontal pivot-bolt, m, throughthe said transverse hole; and at each end of the said bolt a clamp toengage the gunwale of a boat, substantially as described'.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 6o in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH P. MCFARLAND.

Vitnesses:

CEAS. B. MANN, Jr., G. CALvER'r HINES.

